honestly, I would prefer a switch selectable attenuation control. you can then adjust based on known values. less confusing IMHO.
DE n7zzt Eric
On Nov 28, 2015, at 7:35 PM, Tom Fowle wrote:
> richard,
> I'd bet you made a good choice. Assume you saw that it covers only 2 meters
> and the aircraft band emergency freq.
>
> It doesn't appear there is an audible way to determine attenuation level.
>
> Let us know how it goes and happy hunting.
> tom Fowle WA6IVG
>
> On Sat, Nov 28, 2015 at 07:57:24AM -0800, Richard B. McDonald wrote:
>> Hi Tom!
>>
>> Well, I decided to go with the MK4 Sniffer. Really, it seems just perfect
>> for the blind. Part of my reasoning is that it's *only* $160 if purchased
>> directly; noting that it's $295 if purchased from the US distributer. About
>> attenuation, I think it has an "automatic" setting. Exactly how a blind
>> user determines what that level is I will have to investigate further.
>> Below is a link to the MK4's user guide, FYI. This thing seems pretty
>> accessible and awesome!
>>
>> http://www.foxhunt.com.au/2m_sniffer/manual.htm
>>
>> I will get it in a couple of weeks and start playing with it. I will let
>> everyone know how it works.
>>
>> 73,
>> Richard KK6MRH
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>> On Behalf Of Tom Fowle
>> Sent: Friday, November 27, 2015 7:42 PM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: Fox Hunting Directional Antenna for the Blind
>>
>> Looks like there are numerous possibilities, neat.
>>
>> The integrated automatic attenuator is a neat concept, I wonder though how
>> the blind user knows what level of attenuation has been set. This would be
>> important of course because you have to consider the attenuation level as
>> part of the relative signal strength.
>>
>> Let us know which option you decide upon and how it goes Richard.
>>
>> Tom Fowle WA6IVG
>>
>> On Thu, Nov 26, 2015 at 12:44:11PM -0800, Richard B. McDonald wrote:
>>> Oh, WOW, Marvin! This is awesome! I am going to totally check this =
>>> out. I may want to build something just for fun, but buying this
>>> thing = you mention below may be better and easier too. And, who knew
>>> that fox = hunting was so open to the blind; as you describe below! I
>>> am copying = our list in this reply so everyone can see this incredible
>> news!
>>>
>>> 73,
>>> Richard KK6MRH
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Marvin Johnston Sent: Thursday, November 26, 2015 10:14 AM
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>> Cc: Dennis Schwendtner
>>> Subject: Re: Fox Hunting Directional Antenna for the Blind
>>>
>>> Hi Richard,
>>>
>>> A blind friend of mine (Dennis Schwendtner, WB6OBB) forwarded this to
>>> = me.
>>>
>>> What you are looking for is a receiver with what is normally called =
>>> whoopie mode... an audio output where the higher the pitch, the
>>> stronger = the signal. Dennis uses a blue box made by Bryan Ackerly,
>>> VK3YNG in = Australia. It has 8 automatically adjustable attenuation
>>> levels with an = audio output. When the output gets high, it
>>> automatically increases the = attenuation and the audio output goes
>>> low again. A friend of mine used = one on a mobile hunt, and didn't
>>> have to touch it from about 90 miles = away to when he touched the
>> transmitter.
>>>
>>> The cost from Bryan is somewhere around $200.00 (I haven't kept track
>>> so = it might be higher now), and you can find out more about it by
>>> googling = "vk3yng foxhunt sniffer mk4".
>>>
>>> As an aside, Dennis is a well known transmitter hunter and also
>>> competed = in the first US blind ARDF Championships held during Dayton
>>> Hamvention, = and also competed over in Croatia at the first world
>>> Blind ARDF = Championships held in conjunction with the World ARDF
>>> Championships in = 2010. Both events were run on 80 Meters. His run
>>> (along with other blind
>>> competitors) in Croatia is on YouTube.
>>>
>>> One of the devices with a variable audio output is in Joe Moell and
>>> Tom = Curley's book Transmitter Hunting: Radio Direction Finding
>>> Simplified.=20 From memory, it has a pot used to increase/decrease
>>> the attenuation = level.
>>>
>>> Hope this helps!
>>>
>>> Marvin, KE6HTS
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Date: Wed, 25 Nov 2015 09:36:41 -0800
>>>> From: "Richard B. McDonald" <[log in to unmask]>
>>>> Subject: Fox Hunting Directional Antenna for the Blind
>>>>
>>>> Hi!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> In a few months, my club is going to do some fox hunting activities.
>>>> =20 My question here relates not so much to making the "antenna"
>>>> itself=20 per say, but rather to making an audible tone direction
>>>> indicator. I=20 think this thing is called a "V C O?" Basically,
>>>> the V C O causes the =
>>>
>>>> pitch of a tone to change as the direction finding antenna is
>>>> pointed =
>>> towards the fox.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> A very techy friend of mine in the club is going to build this=20
>>>> contraption for me, including the antenna itself. He has some
>>>> ideas. =
>>>
>>>> However, I wonder what others here on our list have done?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 73,
>>>>
>>>> Richard KK6MRH
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